RICHMOND, BC (PGA of British Columbia) – The PGA of BC regrets to announce that the Association’s Tournament of Champions, Assistants’ Championship and Seniors’ Championship will not be contested in 2020 due to ongoing concerns related to COVID-19.

The Tournament of Champions presented by PING Canada & Tee-On Golf Systems Inc. was scheduled for May 25 at Nanaimo Golf Club, while the Assistants’ & Seniors’ Championships presented by Natera Sport & Arbor Memorial Inc. were slated for June 3-4 at Talking Rock Golf Course.

The PGA of BC Board of Directors arrived at this decision after extensive consideration of the direction provided by regional and provincial health authorities, of further measures required to make golf a permissible activity amid current circumstances, and in consultation with host facilities and championship sponsors.

The Province of British Columbia extended the BC-wide state of emergency earlier this week and continues to discourage individuals travelling outside of their communities for recreation and non-essential activity. Furthermore, the logistics of travel and accommodations for those competing – including non-member amateur competitors in the Tournament of Champions – are made more complicated by ongoing restrictions and recommended physical-distancing measures.

“Although it is with great disappointment that we announce the cancellation of these events, the health and safety of our members, tournament competitors and individuals in British Columbia’s golf community and beyond is our foremost priority,” said PGA of BC Executive Director Donald Miyazaki.

“After exploring all options, it became apparent that these events could not be operated to the high standard that is expected of our championships in a manner that was safe for all involved.”

This year will mark the first time an Assistants’ Champion will not be crowned in the province since the inaugural tournament in 1948. The Seniors’ Championship and Tournament of Champions have similarly been awarded every year since their first editions in 1995 and 2003, respectively.

“Cancelling championships is an unprecedented measure within the PGA of BC’s history, but these are unprecedented circumstances,” said Miyazaki. “We thank our Preferred Partners sponsoring these events for working with us to address to these challenging occurrences. All have been supportive as we make these difficult decisions and we look forward to building on our partnerships as they continue to support our Association.

“We know this is disappointing news for our affected competitors and host facilities as well, and we thank them for their understanding.”

Individuals registered for the affected tournaments will have their registration fees refunded accordingly.

Impacts to the PGA of Canada Player Rankings resulting from the Assistants’ Championship cancellation will be addressed by the national office at a later date. The cancellation of the Assistants' & Seniors' Championships, as well as a number of regional tour events, will also impact how the PGA of BC Order of Merit is calculated in 2020. More information on this will be released in the weeks ahead.

All other events on the PGA of BC championship calendar currently remain as scheduled and are open for registration. The Association will continue to monitor developments related to the pandemic and follow the recommendations of health authorities while assessing future events.